Things You Said
by angellwings
Summary: From an ask prompt game on my tumblr.
1. things you said when you were drunk

**A/N:** From an ask prompt game on my tumblr called "Things you said". This anon requested #11 which was "Things you said when you were drunk". This one was tricky cause I don't really see Dalton getting sloppy drunk so I couldn't see anything he said being too scandalous by every day people standards lol. Hopefully you like it. Enjoy!

Things You Said

by angellwings

* * *

 _things you said when you were drunk_

* * *

The next four weeks passed quickly, or that's how it seemed, and they were rotated out. They had the next 3-4 months to decompress. They weren't sure exactly how long they had before going back but it would be at least three months. If they were lucky four.

The team was split up across the U.S. while they were back, each living in different states. Jaz had moved as far away from New York as she possibly could as soon as she was old enough to carry her own. Her tiny apartment in San Francisco was perfect for her. She had neighbors she actually knew and friends to spend her time with. It was a cozy peaceful life.

The team kept in touch while they were home but typically by phone, text, or email. Occasionally, they'd get together in DC to meet the other half of their team. But that was usually it.

That's why she was surprised by a knock on her door and a familiar face one week after their leave had started.

She quirked a brow at the man on the other side of her door. "Top?"

"Jaz," he said with a friendly smile and a nod.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile and a furrowed brow.

"I'm in town to visit some other friends so I thought..." he said as he let his sentence trail off and pulled a six pack of Coronas from behind his back.

She laughed and nodded. "Nice. We can do better than that, though," she said as she stepped out of the doorway and motioned him inside. She shut the door behind them and then opened one of her cabinets to reveal a bottle of Crown.

Dalton chuckled and shook his head at her. "Of course."

She smirked and pulled down two souvenir shot glasses. One from Vegas and one from Miami. Two very wild trips with a bunch of her old friends from high school. If Dalton had shown up three weeks later she'd be gone on another one of those trips, this time Savannah, GA.

They sat down at her kitchen table that faced the sliding glass doors that led out ot her small patio. She had a pretty great view considering how affordable her rent was. She could see the marina and lush green hills in the distance. It was very different from where she spent the rest of the year.

Dalton looked around the apartment from his seat and then back to her. "Nice place."

"Thanks, I like it," she said as she poured them both a shot. She slid one toward him with a smirk. "Drink up."

They both downed their shots. It burned all the way down.

"So," Dalton asked as he bit back a hiss as the alcohol continued to burn. "What made you choose San Francisco?"

Shrugged and poured two more shots. "I don't know. I came here on vacation once as a kid and it felt...inviting. Like something or someone wanted me to be here. When it came time to get my own place, this was the first city that came to mind. It was the only place that felt like it might be a home."

"And the added bonus is that it's as far away from your old neighborhood as you can get, huh?" He asked knowingly as he took the second shot.

She snorted and nodded her agreement. She toasted him with the shot glass and then downed the second shot. He followed her lead. The buzz was starting to set in. Two more of these and they'd be pretty gone. Jaz didn't seem to have intention of stopping as she poured two more shots. He got up from the table and grabbed two of the bottles of water she had out on her kitchen counter.

"If we're doing the serious drinking," he said with a smirk. "You'd better chase it with one of these unless you want to be in pain tomorrow." He came back to the table and set one bottle in front of her and one in front of him.

She laughed lightly and took her third shot. "You just gotta be the responsible one, huh?"

He chuckled and took his third shot as well. "If I were really responsible we would have stuck to those beers I brought with me."

"So," Jaz said as she gave him a suspicious glance. "What are you really doing here?"

"What?" He asked as he poured them both their next shot. "I can't just show up and visit if I'm in town?"

"You can," she told him. "But you usually don't."

Shot glasses were emptied a fourth time and as it burned once again, everything around them became a little hazy. They were slowing down on the shots now. Jaz had opened her water and taken a few sips. She was giving him plenty of time to think of his answer. She was in no rush.

He took a deep breath and shrugged. "I guess I just, um, wanted to."

She smiled warmly at him and nodded. "I gathered that much, Top, but _why?_ "

"I think while we're on leave you can probably call me Adam," he told her with a smirk.

She smiled brightly and her eyes took on a teasing gleam. "Oh I can, can I? Wow, what an honor. I actually get to use your first name. Never thought I'd see the day."

He was definitely feeling the alcohol in his system now or maybe it was her smile, both probably, but he found himself doing exactly what he'd promised himself he wouldn't do when he decided to come see her. Admit the truth.

"Honestly," he said he opened his own water bottle. "I don't have any friends around here."

She paused as she poured them another shot and gave him a curious glance. "No?"

"No," he admitted as he cleared his throat nervously. The damn alcohol was making him both brave and stupid. That had to be the only reason he was about to level with her. He grabbed the fifth shot and downed it quickly before continuing. "I just-well, I missed you."

Her smile widened considerably and he thought she might be blushing. It could be the alcohol though. No way to be sure. She took her fifth shot and then angled herself toward him in her chair. "Well, Adam," she said putting emphasis on his first name. "I _may_ have missed you too. Just a bit."

They sat there for a long moment just staring at each other with goofy grins before she finally looked away from him and put the cap on the bottle of Crown. They both knew they didn't need any more of that.

"So," Jaz asked as she met his eyes again. "How long are you in town for?"

He shrugged carelessly, though he didn't feel careless. He felt slightly terrified actually. They were on dangerous ground here, but with 5 shots in him he found he didn't really care. "Not sure. Thought I'd play it by ear. Wasn't quite sure how welcome I'd be." In other words, he thought he'd let her kick him out or ask him to stay.

"I've got a trip with some friends, three weeks from now," she said as she gave him a meaningful glance. "So, if you wanted to stay and hang out. I'll be here."

He was itching to reach across and touch her, but not even 5 shots could make him forget he was technically her CO, even on leave. He couldn't initiate it. As if she'd read his mind Jaz slid her chair next to his until their shoulders were touching and leaned into him.

"Even drunk," she said with a laugh and slight slur of her words. "You're a stiff, responsible, CO, aren't you? How many shots would it take to get you to loosen up, I wonder?"

"A lot more than 5," he said with a laugh.

She smirked and gave him a thoughtful glance before she grabbed his arm and put it around her shoulders. He gave her a pleasantly surprised look and she shrugged in response. "We both know you wanted to."

She was right. He did.

"You know, I think I could stay in town for another week or two," he said as he avoided her eyes. "If you want, that is."

"We both know you want to," she said as she echoed her earlier words, but this time in a lower and softer tone. "And I'm not about to stop you." A serious tension fill moment lingered between them before a smirk formed on her lips. "Besides, the longer your here the more chances I get to find out what the magic number of shots is to get you to loosen up. And I will figure it out, Adam."

"Go ahead and try," he said with a laugh. Damn, if he didn't love how she said his name. "But if we're matching shot for shot then you probably won't last long enough to find out."

"Challenge accepted," she said as she leaned a little further into him.

The jury was still out on whether coming to see her was a _smart_ decision but, even if it wasn't, it was a _good_ one.


	2. things you said when you were crying

_#8 things you said when you were crying_

* * *

The last time he'd seen her cry, her best friend had just died. Even then, the tears were minimal. It wasn't something she did. At least not where anyone could see. So, when they'd gotten back from a particularly rough mission and she'd walked off alone he knew what she was doing. This mission had involved children hostages. It had been high stress for all of them. Preach had nearly lost his head, as any man with young daughters would, and Jaz...

Something about one of those kids had gotten to her. They'd sent her in to the school and she'd fed them a story about being a teacher. As it was a school in the French countryside and she was fluent in French and English, the cover worked. They'd managed to get them all out safely, but it had taken it's toll.

Jaz looked rough. She'd ended up with shiner on her cheek, stitches above her eye, and a broken rib. From what they could hear over coms she'd put herself in front of one of the children and taken the abuse from the terrorists in the little girl's place. Normally, he would leave her be, trusting her to cope on her own, but something about this mission hit a nerve. He could tell.

He found her behind one of the buildings, crouched against the wall with her head in her hands. He made his footsteps loud and purposeful to give her time to recover if she needed to, but to his surprise she didn't move. He did see her hastily wipe her cheeks with the back of her hand, though.

"Hey," he said softly.

She swallowed thickly and nodded. "Hey."

He sat down next to her and then after a long quiet moment he said, "Talk to me."

He didn't actually expect her to talk. He thought he'd sit there for a few minutes and she'd freeze him out. He expected to leave shortly with a request for her to talk to him when she felt ready. But she surprised him.

"The kid I stepped in for," she said as she took a deep shaky breath. "Already had a few injuries and scars," she told him as tears silently fell from her eyes. "Old ones."

Her eyes met hers with a meaningful glance and he instantly knew what she was trying to say. Somebody at home was mistreating that poor kid.

"She had a lot of attitude," Jaz said with a watery chuckle and a grin. "And knew more profanity than she probably should. But all that tough stuff was a front. Every time those terrorist assholes moved toward her she flinched and stepped closer to me. She…" Jaz stopped as more tears fell and shook her head. "She _is_ me. Or who I used to be."

He'd assumed as much, but she'd never admitted it. She never talked about her family other than a comment here or there. For her to actually voice any of this outloud implied an intimate level of trust. "You turned out okay," Dalton said with a small smirk.

He wanted to reach out and wipe away some of those tears but he kept his hands to himself. He was afraid if he acknowledged the emotions she was letting him see she'd stop. Not only that but it was not exactly appropriate. His was still her CO.

"Yeah, but no kid should have to feel afraid everyday of their life. I'd rather someone care for her than have that little girl turn out like me," she said as closed her eyes and swallowed thickly. "She already takes abuse at home. I couldn't let those monsters cause her pain too. Better me than her anyway. I'm used to it. Have been for longer than I care to admit."

"You're not that kid anymore, Jaz," Dalton assured her. "You took the power back and now you use it to defend those who can't defend themselves. Like that little girl today."

"A lot of good it did her. She's probably home now with her shitty parents," she said with a dark chuckle. She wiped furiously at her wet cheeks.

"Probably, but now she knows somebody out there cares about her," he told her. "She's not gonna forget the woman who took those hits for her. You did more for her than you know, just by showing who she doesn't deserve the pain." He stood and held out a hand to help her up. He knew she didn't need it, but he offered it anyway. "Come on," he said. "Preach is working on dinner. Let's get you a beer."

She took a deep breath and used her shirt to wipe off her face. She then put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up. "Sounds perfect to me. A distraction would be good right about now."

There were things he wanted to do that he couldn't when it came to Jaz, but distracting her, being there for her, _that_ he could do.


	3. that I wasn't meant to hear

_#20 things you said that I wasn't meant to hear_

* * *

"No, Preach," he heard Jaz say from the next room. "I'm not doing that."

Preach chuckled before she replied. "So, what, you're just going to ignore it? Keep it to yourself? In our line of work? Come on."

"I shouldn't have even said it to you," Jaz said with a scoff. "Mostly because it's clear you're going to hold it over my head but also because you know it's impossible. I know it's impossible and he knows it's impossible."

"I know no such thing," Preach told her. "When it comes to love, girl, nothing is impossible."

Dalton knew he'd been eavesdropping this whole time but it hadn't felt like it till just then. Were they talking about him?

Jaz chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, for princesses in fairy tales maybe. I'm not one of your daughters, Preach. I'm not a princess. I rarely get what I want and this is just another thing to add to the list. I'm not gonna go admitting it to him and make the relationship we do have completely awkward. Okay? It's best left unsaid. Leave it alone. We're in the same unit, he's my CO. It's a bad idea."

Yes, they were talking about him.

"If you actually feel what I know you feel," Preach said in a voice that sounded wise beyond his years. "Then it's never a bad idea."

Jaz scoffed. "Yeah I'm pretty sure the DIA would disagree with you there, buddy."

Dalton scratched the back of his neck and quietly walked away. They both had solid points. He'd been struggling with the same thoughts himself and over hearing that conversation didn't actually help. Though, he thought with a grin, at least now he knew Jaz felt the same and, while it didn't resolve anything, at least that was _something._


	4. things you said after i was captured

_things you said after I was captured_

* * *

They were back at base and Jaz tried not to notice the way Dalton kept staring at her. He'd been staring at her since they'd pulled her out of that truck. She stashed her stuff and then immediately headed to the kitchen. She needed coffee or tea. Something warm and comforting. She hoped the others would give her a minute alone, but she had a feeling Dalton wouldn't be far behind her.

She was having a hard time looking at any of them. The only time she'd come close to breaking was when they'd shown her those doctored photos. For a split second, she'd thought it was true. She'd thought they'd come bursting in after her and gotten themselves captured. Then her panic subsided and she remembered her team was better than that. Dalton wasn't reckless enough to send the team into certain death, even for her.

But the fear of losing them was there now and she wasn't sure it could ever be removed. She'd lost one team mate already due to the nature of the job. She couldn't lose any more of them. She'd gotten herself captured and they'd come for her. They shouldn't have. She didn't expect them to. The minute she'd been grabbed she prepared herself for abuse and torture and pain. She'd been subjected to that her whole life. This wasn't any different.

It went against protocol and any tactical sense for them to have stayed in the city. But they'd done it. For her. They'd lost their local contact thanks to her. If they'd have lost anyone else...

She sat at the table and waited for the coffee to finish brewing. Her firsts were clenched and she felt irrationally angry. They should have left her there. They had protocols for a reason. A rescue made no sense when there were other qualified guys who could take her spot. Yeah, she knew they would have mourned her but they'd have been okay. Everyone would have been okay.

The coffee finished and she got up to make a cup. When she turned to sit back down, Dalton was there. Waiting.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked. "You looked pretty pissed, just a second ago."

"Were you watching me?" She asked him with a furrowed brow. "Seriously?"

He scratched the back of his neck and looked a little sheepish. "It's not good to keep in all in, Jaz."

She sighed and sat back down at the table. She wasn't sure she was really ready to talk. She hadn't gathered up her feelings enough to know what she would even say.

"Fine, I'll start," Adam said after a long quiet moment. "I know you don't believe me, but none of this is your fault. Her brother called the damn phone, Jaz. That's where it went wrong. It wasn't you. You reacted the only way you could to get the job done."

"See, that's where your wrong," she said as she chuckled darkly. "It is my fault. No, I didn't have any control over the situation. It was TARFU, straight up. But you felt the need to come after me. You risked the team for me, Top. No way around it, _that's_ my fault."

"Jaz-"

"No, you and I both know what protocol was in that situation. So, don't try it," she said with a huff as she took a sip of her coffee.

"I wasn't going to leave you behind. _None_ of us were going to leave you behind. It wasn't even an option. That was our decision. Not yours," he said with a shake of his head. "I- _we-_ wanted to have your back. I'm not apologizing for that. I'm not going to say I regret it. I don't. No damn way I ever will if that decision means you're here at this table right now."

She looked up from her coffee to meet his eyes and found him staring at her with a determined gaze. He wasn't leaving till she understood. She sighed and shook her head again. "I'm not gonna have anyone else die for me, Top. So, if you're waiting for me to admit you all made the right decision, you're gonna be here a while. You should have stuck with protocol. I can take the god damn torture. I can't take knowing someone died to help me."

"Why is that?" He asked. He sounded irritated now. "Is that because no one's ever offered to help you before? I'm sorry to say, Jaz, you have people who care about you now. I care about you. When you care about someone you make the necessary sacrifices. You're going to have to get used to that."

His words hit her square in the chest, like a bullet to a Kevlar vest. They shocked her and she couldn't have replied even if she wanted to. He stood up from the table with a huff and walked away. Maybe someday she could tell him that the reason she was so pissed was because she cared about him too and the idea that he might sacrifice himself for her made her physically ache. Someday, she'd tell him. But not today.


	5. when you thought i was sleeping

**A/N:** Ooooh, this one's tricky given the team's sleeping arrangements are usually all together in the same room. Or, you know, not sleeping at all.

Hmmm, okay, you know what? Let's make this a follow up to " _things you said when you were drunk"_ When we last left Jaz and Dalton, they were drunk and kinda cuddled up in her kitchen.

* * *

 _things you said when you thought I was asleep_

* * *

Dalton had taken her couch. After five shots, no way he was driving, and it was late. She'd gone to bed with a bottle of water beside her bed but when she woke up a few hours later with a bit of a headache she realized she needed so Tylenol too. She got up and moved toward her bedroom door, but paused when she heard Dalton talking softly. She assumed he was on the phone.

"Preach, I cannot believe I let you talk me into this," he said in a hushed tone. There was a pause and then. "Yes, I told her the truth about being here. No, not _that_ truth. We're on leave. In 3 months will be back in close quarters taking out monsters and terrorists, and I'll be back to being her CO." Dalton sighed and she tried not to grin. Preach was lecturing. She knew that sigh. She'd often sighed like that herself when faced with Preach's words of wisdom. "Yeah, I know, man. But it's not that simple. Decisions would have to be made if I actually pursued-" He stopped again and she could barely hear Preach's stern voice on the other end of the line. "I'm not saying it wouldn't be worth it, but it's a lot of risk." He must have pulled the phone away from his ear because she could hear Preach's words clearly, though they were a bit muffled.

" _Don't you think you oughta let her decide if she's willing to take that risk with you? Jaz has a say in this too."_

 _Thank you, Preach,_ Jaz thought with a smirk. She does have a say in this.

"Something like this can derail a career," Dalton said in a concerned voice. "She's worked twice as hard as you or me to get where she is. She has a say, yes, but I don't want to be what messes that up for her."

" _You went there to talk, Adam. So do yourself a favor and actually talk to the woman. You've only got 3 months to get your shit together, four if you're lucky. It's now or never."_

How was it Preach always ended up being their cheerleader? He saw the connection before you were ever willing to admit it. Since then he's been poking and prodding and making sure you remembered that time and life is short. Connections are rare. Nothing is impossible. Jaz shut her bedroom door quietly and leaned back against it. Maybe he was right. They had 3 months to figure it out. It was now or never. She went back to bed and decided to see where Adam was going to take this. As usual, she'd follow his lead.


	6. things you said at the kitchen table

**A/N:** The next two are a continuation of "things you said when you were drunk" and "things you said when you thought I was asleep". Somehow these have become a story all their own LOL.

* * *

 _#13 things you said at the kitchen table_

* * *

Jaz got up and took a shower and came out of her room with her hair in towel and dressed in sweats and a loose fitting tank top. She was met with the smell of bacon and after crossing her small living room she spotted Dalton making breakfast.

She chuckled. "You didn't want my runny eggs so you thought you'd beat me to making breakfast?"

"No," he answered. Though the grin on his face contradicted his answer. "I was just up before you."

"Right," she said with a laugh. Her cell phone rang suddenly and she looked at the name before point out to her patio. "I'm just gonna step outside for a second."

He nodded and watched her walk through the sliding doors. Once the doors were closed behind her he took a deep nervous breath. He really shouldn't be here. This was possibly the most idiotic he'd ever been. He was here debating actually pursuing Jaz romantically. He was technically her boss. He'd never let himself get into this situation before. The line between subordinate and more than that had always stayed firmly in place. They could keep going just as they always been and it would work just fine. There was no need to escalate things. Yes, that was the right decision. He'd leave today and they could both chalk this up to a friendly visit.

She came back inside just as he was placing two plates of eggs and bacon and toast on her kitchen table.

"Thanks," Jaz said as she sat down next to him. "So, my friends are getting together tonight. No big deal, we're just meeting up at a bar. Since you'll be staying for a bit. Would you like to come with?"

"I'm actually thinking I should probably go," he said as he gave her an apologetic look.

She paused as she picked up her fork and gave him a long skeptical glance. After a moment she nodded and chuckled dryly. "Is this because we work together?" He nodded. "And you're my CO?" he nodded again.

Her lips pursed together and she leaned back in her chair. Breakfast was temporarily forgotten.

"Let me ask you this," she said. "Let's say, you and I never met. That some basic douche-y white dude took my spot on the team instead."

Adam chuckled at her description, but nodded. "Okay."

"And you were never my CO, we never worked together. One night, you're out with your buddies, at a bar, and I walk in. What would happen next?"

"But that's not our situation, Jaz."

"Humor me," Jaz said with a stern face. "What would happen?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and ran a hand over his face. He was about to say some things he shouldn't. But he couldn't exactly lie to her, could he? "Well, I'm not one to really chase women in bars, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "Adam, come on."

He sucked in a breath at the sound of his first name on her lips. He looked at her and grinned slightly. "But I'd probably make an exception in your case."

"And?" She asked as she grinned back at him.

"I wouldn't use a line on you," he answered. "You're too smart for that."

She laughed lightly. "How would you know that?"

"Because I have no doubt that while I was sitting back and assessing the situation at least two other guys tried and failed to talk to you with a few of McG's lines."

She smirked and nodded her agreement. She held herself confidently just like he'd imagine she would in this imaginary scenario. "That's likely. So, what would your approach be?"

"Introduce myself," he said with a shrug. "Offer to pay for your drink."

She quirked a brow at him. "You wouldn't offer to buy me one?"

"No, I'm pretty good at reading people, you know?" He said with a cocky grin. "You're careful. Probably not someone who'd trust some stranger to buy her a drink. But you might let someone else pay your tab. The question is, would you let me?"

She looked him up and down for a lingering moment and then nodded slowly. "For not starting with a pick up line? Yeah, I'd let you. Okay, so from there let's say we hit it off. What's next?"

"Jaz," he said with a shake of his head. That line he always kept in place was getting fuzzier the longer this conversation went on.

"What would be the next step?" She asked again. She was determined to play this out.

"Well, we're not guaranteed much time on leave so," he said as he met her eyes hesitantly. "I'd probably ask to leave the bar and take you to dinner."

She tilted her head slightly and bit her bottom lip before she asked her next question. "And after that?"

His eyes traveled her face and then down to her neck and shoulders and the exposed skin there before lingering on her lips for a moment too long. She was drawing attention to her bottom lip. He couldn't help but stare. When he met her eyes his gaze was much more confident and a little darker. Clouded with something he usually willed away. "After that, we'd... _improvise_." He said as he flashed her a small crooked smile.

"Improvise?" She asked with a small wicked grin of her own.

"We'd see where we ended up," he said vaguely. The 'your place or mine' implication hung in the air around them before Jaz finally nodded and broke the tension between them.

"So, then why don't we treat this," she said as motioned between them. "Like that? We don't work together, we've never met."

"Still doesn't change the fact that in three to four months we'll be back on base together, in our same old roles," he told her with a sigh.

"See, _that's_ our problem," Jaz said with a shake of her head. "We're thinking too far ahead. We don't even know if this would go anywhere. For all we know, we could try it and decide we're better off as friends. But we'll never try it because we're too scared of what might happen if it works out."

"If it worked out, it would change a lot of things," he told her.

"Yeah, but can you live with never knowing one way or the other?" She asked him. "You know, someone once told me that a real connection is rare and that you shouldn't dismiss it even if the circumstances seem impossible. It was pretty good advice."

He grinned at that and met her eyes. "Preach got to you too, huh?"

She nodded. "He's right, you know?"

"I just...I don't know," Dalton said with a sigh.

"Okay," Jaz said thoughtfully. "How about this. We really try it, you and me, for 90 days. Maybe at the end of that 90 days we'll decide we're better off as coworkers and friends. That's where we started, we can always go back to that."

"And if it works out?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," she said with a shrug. "Otherwise, we'll always wonder."

He thought about her words for a long moment. She was right. He knew she was right. "Okay, fine. Can I suggest a change though? 60 days instead of 90. We try it for 60 days and then after that we'll reassess. That way no matter which way this goes, we'll have time to recover and make the necessary decisions before leave ends."

She gave him a small smile. Obviously, glad to hear he was coming around. "One thing, I do have a week of vacation in the middle of that. I don't think we should lose that week just because I'm out of town."

He smiled affectionately at her and nodded. "Fine, 67 days. Is that agreeable to you, Sargent?" he asked in amusement as he held his hand out to her for a shake.

She grinned excitedly and shook his hand. "Very agreeable, Captain."


	7. things you said with no space between us

_#16 the things you said with no space between us_

* * *

Jaz had skipped going to the bar with her friends. Instead she found herself sitting in a booth next to Dalton at one of her favorite local restaurants. She'd picked a small corner booth in the back and they'd sat as close as they could in the corner. Knees bumping under the table.

The first thing Dalton learned about Jaz while she was on leave is that she actually let her feminine side show. When they were at work, femininity sometimes got in her way. It shouldn't be that way but they both knew it was. He'd seen her dressed like this a handful of times. Usually only when it was useful on the job.

But tonight, she was wearing a long black cotton dress, belted at the waist, with strappy flat black sandals. Her hair was down and wavy across her shoulders. He could see she was wearing makeup, but it still looked soft and natural with the exception of her bright red lips. He'd seen her relaxed around the fire at the base but tonight she was more than just relaxed. She looked _lighter_ somehow. Like she wasn't carrying the weight of the world.

He could relate. Tonight, they were just Jaz and Adam. It was a good feeling.

He was certain he didn't look anywhere near as impressive in his button up and slacks but he was perfectly happy to sit back and let her be the impressive one. Across the board she was much more impressive than him anyway.

"So," she said with a knowing smirk. "You happy you stayed?"

He laughed at the cocky expression on her face and put his arm around her shoulders. "Yes, okay, you were right. Do you have to keep pointing that out?"

"I think I do, yeah," she said as she leaned into him.

There was no physical space between them, but that had happened before on various cases. What was more important was that it felt like, for the first time maybe ever, there was no emotional distance between them. Adam wasn't holding back and she wasn't hiding. If he wanted to put an arm around her just because he did. If she wanted to lean into his space, she did. They didn't have to explain or justify it. Not to anyone and not each other.

"Seriously, Jaz," he said as he met her eyes and smiled warmly. "This is perfect."

"And you almost missed it," she said with a teasing grin and shake of her head.

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" He asked her with a roll of his eyes.

"Not now, not ever and especially not if we're still working out at the end of 67 days," she told him with a soft smile.

"Yeah, you're going to be insufferable. I should've known," he said as he dipped his hand a little lower and poked her side playfully. She let out a yelp and tried twist away from him with a loud laugh. He held her tightly against his side though. She had nowhere to go.

Honestly, it didn't matter who had bragging rights. What mattered is that they'd made it there in the first place. It felt right to be there with her and Adam decided he was done worrying about the future. For the next 67 days, at least, he was going to enjoy the present.


	8. things you said through your teeth

_things you said through your teeth_

* * *

"You have to trust me to do my job at some point, Top," Jaz said with a huff as they discussed the next mission.

He'd pulled her aside when her scoffs had reached near insubordinate levels. It didn't matter who she was, he was still her CO and he couldn't let her give him attitude in front of the team.

He shook his head at her. "I do," he told her. "Jaz, if you have a problem with-"

"No," she sneered through clenched jaw. "You don't. We had a mission that was FUBAR," she told him. "I get it. You put the whole team on the line to save me. You don't want that to happen again. But the assignments you've been giving me for these last few missions are crap. You're purposefully distancing me from the conflict." She took a deep breath but it didn't seem to help the tension in her jaw because the next thing she said was sneered through her teeth again. "You've never done that before."

He was still pissed at her for the way she'd acted in front of the team but if he really took a step back and looked at the most recent missions he knew she was right. He hadn't meant to, but on some level...

Damn it.

"Next time," he said in a warning tone. "You talk to me about this privately and you don't give me that attitude in front of the whole unit."

She nodded, it was a barely noticeable dip of her chin, but he saw it. "Sorry."

"But," he said with a harsh exhale. "You have a point." He rubbed a hand across his brow and shook his head. "I didn't realize I was-I'm sorry."

He felt a little lost after that. He'd never been one to let emotions interfere with his work. He had a firm line that he never crossed, but when it came to Jaz it seemed that line was a little blurry.

"Overwatch a satisfactory enough assignment for you, Sargent?" He asked with an apologetic grin.

"It'll do, Captain," she agreed with a smirk.


	9. things you said when you were scared

_things you said when you were scared_

* * *

He didn't want her to see it. But she did. He was scared. Scared for her and what she could be walking into. Scared of all the ways it could go wrong. His eyes were almost begging her to say no. He couldn't actually form the words to say any of it. It was their job. Their duty. So, no he couldn't ask her to refuse. Instead he pulled her aside for a short hushed conversation. His body language was closed off and he was angled away from her. She'd worked with him enough to know what he was doing. He was keeping his distance. Detaching. Trying to keep his head in the game.

He couldn't tell her his doubts or his fears.

It went unsaid.

What he did say was a disclaimer that despite her earlier slip up she had nothing to prove. Not him.

And then he said, "We don't have to run this mission. As far as I'm concerned we can walk out of here with our heads held high." He paused briefly before continuing. "In fact we probably should."

Translation, this is a risk I'm not comfortable with but it's our one shot and I can't ignore that. And then there was the pause. The pause that told her he was tempted to scrap the whole thing before he even let her answer. Followed by a statement that was silently pleading with her to tell him no. If she said no then he could forget he'd even had the idea to begin with and they could go home with both of them in one piece.

But running wasn't in her nature. She'd been a scared little girl once. She would never be that again. So, even though the fear she could see in his eyes meant more to her than he knew, she couldn't do what he wanted. She couldn't say no. She gave him her decision and walked away.

He didn't follow and she knew he was taking a moment to pack away the fear as best he could. Because now they had a job to do and the stakes had just been raised


	10. things you said under the stars

_things you said under the stars and in the grass_

* * *

She'd been cleared for work and they hadn't received a mission yet so for the moment things felt normal. The last discussion she'd had with Dalton was playing through her head. He'd told her about his dark side and admitting to speaking with Xander himself. It was a comfort to know she wasn't alone in feeling like a bit of a mess. They were soldiers yes and they'd seen a lot of trauma, but that didn't mean they couldn't feel it.

Dalton had told her about his scars but she hadn't told him about hers.

She was laying on a blanket by the fire, looking up at the stars, when she heard shuffling next to her. She turned her head to find Dalton laying down on a towel he'd placed next to her.

She gave him a small smile as he placed his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky.

"What are we thinking about?" He asked as he continued to look up at the sky.

She swallowed thickly and wondered if she should actually tell him or propose a lighter topic. She remembered his face during their last conversation and decided that if he could open up then so could she.

"They had pictures," she said quietly.

He didn't ask who 'they' was. He already knew. "Of what?"

"Of you. Of the team. They tried to break me by saying you were dead and the rest were captured," she said in a voice just barely above a whisper.

He tried to think of what they would do if they were interrogating someone and his stomach rolled in a nauseous wave because he knew. "The pictures were doctored," he stated.

She nodded. "The one of you was the worst and it's burned into my brain. I believed them for a split second. Once that second passed I knew it was a game. A ploy. But it was too late. I couldn't unsee it."

He turned so that he was laying on his side and focused his eyes on her face. He could see it now, the haunted pain. It made his chest ache.

"And now there's this fear gnawing at the back of my brain that all of you could be gone in a moment. One wrong move is all it takes," she said as she shut her eyes tight and pursed her lips. "So, this most recent mission when I was so upset? It wasn't about being left behind. It was-"

"About not being there to watch our backs," Dalton finished knowingly.

She nodded wordlessly and then turned on her side as well. Her eyes found his and he could see tears glistening in them. She wasn't going to cry. She never cried. This was as close as she'd ever come. At least while they were on base.

"Hey," he said in a tone that was both soft and warm. "We made it back. We're here. Everything worked out. And next time you'll be there. Watching my six just like always. Yeah?"

She smiled gratefully at him and nodded again. "Hell yeah."


	11. things you said when we were working out

_things you said when we were working out_

* * *

Boxing was Jaz's thing. Dalton preferred martial arts and sparring. But she was still healing from a few of the more grisly wounds from being taken and boxing would be easier on her battered body. So he held the sandbag while she punched out all of her frustration. He was always impressed with Jaz, but he found himself even more impressed with her now. He didn't even know that had been possible.

He'd had to leave her behind last mission. He knew she'd hated it. He'd hated it too. But if she wasn't as ready as he trusted she was and something happened to her...

He'd just gotten her back. He wasn't about to lose her again.

So, for her sake, he needed to have that official word from the higher ups. She hadn't brought it up again when they got back. He assumed she'd made peace with it Either that or making him hold the sandbag was her secret plot to punish him and any minute he'd get an "accidental" punch to the face. He'd momentarily forgot to brace the bag and she'd punched as his gripped faltered. The bag flew back and hit him in the face. He stumbled back but quickly caught himself.

Jaz let out a short startled laugh before biting her bottom lip and stifling it. "You okay, Top?"

She'd laughed. He'd only heard her laugh once since Tehran. He enjoyed the sound too much to even care about his pain or the fact that he'd just mildly embarrassed himself.

"Pride's a little hurt," he with a self deprecating chuckle. "Otherwise good."

Once she was sure he was okay she laughed again. Longer and louder this time. "I'm sorry," she said through her uncontrollable laughter. "I thought you had...the bag. But god your face when it hit you," she paused and took a deep breath before laughing even louder. She doubled over with her arms on her knees for a moment and then straightened as she caught her breath. "Oh god, that was classic."

He gave her an embarrassed smile and crossed his arms over his chest. He chuckled and rolled his eyes at her. "I may have embarrassed the hell out of myself but I'm glad you're enjoying it at least." He actually really was glad for that. Things had been so heavy around base lately, it was nice to feel light. If not totally humiliated.

She unstrapped the gloves. Using her teeth to pull at the Velcro on one hand. An action which definitely did not pull his focus to her lips, he told himself as he forced his eyes downward for a moment. Once she had the gloves off she ran a hand over wide smile and massaged her cheeks.

"Oh god, I laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt. Haven't done that in a while," she admitted with a much softer laugh. "Thanks for that," she said with a cheeky grin.

He shook his head but gave her a playful little bow. "Glad to be of service. No matter how humiliating." He sobered a little as he brought his eyes to hers. "Just to hear you laugh."

She smiled affectionately at him and didn't shy away from his gaze. "Yeah?" She asked. "So, are you gonna make a habit of embarrassing your self now just to make me laugh?"

This time he laughed and then shook his head at her. "Hell no. Absolutely not."


	12. things you said while we were driving

**A/N:** this is a follow up to "things you said with no space between us" (and every one of these that one is a follow up for too) because I'm not done with that universe yet I guess LOL

* * *

 _things you said while we were driving_

* * *

When dinner was over they found themselves in Dalton's car just driving around. They didn't have a destination in mind and they weren't going to Jaz's apartment. They were just...wandering. And it was nice, _really_ nice, to be wandering around casually with no impending crisis or close quarters with the other three members of their unit.

It reminded him of a few rare moments by the fire at the base.

"So," Jaz said as she turned to him with a smirk. "You came all the way out here just for me? How long did it take you to decide to do that?"

He laughed nervously. He knew the question would come up at some point. "It took four days at my apartment in DC before I broke down and called Preach," he admitted. "Something about this leave, this time, felt all wrong. The first two days I couldn't quite pinpoint why and then..." he stopped short, debating continuing.

Jaz's hand found his shoulder and gave it a supportive squeeze "And then?" She asked.

He scratched his beard before letting his eyes drift from the road. He met her curious eyes with a look so intense that she almost pulled away from him. It startled her. She'd never seen that look. Not on him.

"I kept seeing you everywhere," he told her honestly as he eyes slid back to the road. "There was one time I followed this poor girl at the grocery store because I thought-she just looked so much like you or so I thought. When she actually turned around to face me I could see there were only the smallest similarities. I realized then that seeing you in strangers on the street was not normal." He shook his head at himself before he continued. "I've always felt a strange pull toward you, Jaz, I knew that. But I'd always been able to keep my distance. To stay just shy of crossing the line. The thing is, though, if I missed you enough to start seeing your face everywhere then at some point I crossed that line and didn't even know it." He paused and took a deep breath. "I had to see you after that. I called Preach hoping he'd talk me out of it but-"

"He talked you into it instead?" Jaz asked with a knowing grin.

He scoffed and smirked at her. "I shouldn't have expected anything less."

"Well," Jaz said as she slid her left hand into his free hand and laced their fingers together. "I'm glad he succeeded. I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," he answered as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. He was free to be as affectionate as he wanted to be here. Professional line be damned.


	13. things you said after you kissed me

**A/N** : This is a part of all the responses in that coexist with the initial "things you said when you were drunk" story line.

* * *

 _things you said after you kissed me_

* * *

Jaz thought she would see it coming. The kiss. She thought there would be some sort of lead in or build up. She didn't imagine he'd pull the car over on the way back to her apartment and then suddenly lean across the seat. It had happened pretty quickly. It took a lot to surprise Jaz. She'd been in combat against stealth and quiet and she could always sense some sort of indication of movement. She was trained to stay at least a few steps ahead at all times.

But a lot of that training and experience...came from Dalton. So, he could definitely pull it off.

She wasn't even sure what had brought it on. One minute they were talking about Patton and she was accusing him of going soft and the next he'd pulled the car over, placed a hand behind her neck, and pulled her lips against his.

Not that she was complaining.

The kiss deepened and she felt him nip lightly at her lower lip. It was an encouragement to part her lips. She could read that signal well enough. The kiss was soft and slow. He was giving her plenty of time to change her mind, but once she parted her lips any and all hesitance on his part faded. She felt his fingers dig into her hair as he twisted her dark wavy locks around them. Tugging gently.

Eventually, their positions across the front seat felt awkward and their need for air took over. They pulled apart and Jaz smirked at him with a curious but bright expression. Her silent question of "what was that for?" hung between them.

Dalton gave her half of a smile and lifted a shoulder carelessly. "You said my name, my _first_ name, and you said it so casually. The way it fell off your lips made me feel like..." he paused, closed his eyes, and swallowed thickly. The emotions on his face read content but nervous as he continued, "It felt like it belonged there." He opened his eyes and met hers with a look of longing and a wicked grin. "I couldn't resist."

She smiled warmly at him and nodded. "Well," she said as her smile twisted into a half of a smirk. "Then I guess I should start using it more often. I mean if it's going to get that kind of reaction, how could I not?"

He chuckled at her and put the car back in drive. "Maybe wait till I'm not driving, next time, though."

"I'm not making any promises."


	14. things you said at 1 am

**A/N:** this one is a part of the 67 days storyline from "things you said when you were drunk"

* * *

 _things you said at 1 am_

* * *

They'd arrived back at her apartment just after one in the morning. The long drive had broken the awkward tension and had led to a first kiss. The entire evening felt surreal to Jaz. Having Dalton around wasn't something she planned on. She thought she wouldn't see him for at least 3 months, but here they were coming back from a date. _A date._ She'd never let herself believe it would actually happen.

And now it had.

She closed and locked her apartment door behind them. "Coffee?" She asked.

He nodded. She felt his eyes on her, the entire walk. She disappeared into her kitchen and then a moment later Dalton followed her slowly. He was watching her every move. She knew it.

"Jaz," he said quietly as he leaned on the counter next to her.

"Hm?" She didn't look at him, just continued scooping grounds into a coffee filter.

"Do you remember when we changed?" He asked thoughtfully. "Was there one moment when something shifted between us for you?"

Her hand stilled with one last scoop hanging over the filter and she met his gaze with a furrowed brow as she considered his question. Her face softened and she chuckled. "No, I can't pin point exactly when it happened," she answered honestly. "I just realized one day that you probably meant a little _too much_ to me. But I feel like that might be for the best because it means it wasn't just one singular moment. It was all the little moments that added up over time."

She dropped the last scoop of grounds into the filter and set it up to brew. Once her hands were free he took one of them in his and then wrapped his other arm around her waist, almost as if he couldn't help himself. "What about you?" Jaz asked as she placed her free hand on his shoulder.

She smirked a little when she realized they looked as though they were dancing.

He lifted one shoulder carelessly and then gave her a lopsided grin. "First time I saw you in action with the team."

She blinked at him in surprise. "Wait, what? Since the first mission? _That long?"_

He chuckled at her reaction and nodded. "Didn't realize it then, but looking back that was definitely the moment. Never thought I'd actually do anything about it though."

"Yeah, that caught us both off guard," Jaz said with a light laugh. "I'm glad you came to see me, Adam."

"Me too," he said with a warm smile. "There you go using my first name again."

She grinned at him knowingly. "You gonna kiss me again?"

His answer came a moment later when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. He released her hand to wrap both of his arms around her wait. One of her arms went around his neck and the other was tucked between them. This kiss was soft and tender and not at all like any kiss Jaz had experienced before. Of course, she usually dated musicians and jackasses. And _once_ a Navy Seal. Not that Dalton, or Preach for that matter, ever needed to know that.

Dalton wasn't a musician, a jackass, or a Navy Seal so of course this kiss would be so full of emotion and so completely different. Because Dalton was different. He was important to her in every way possible. She brought the hand that was tucked between them up to his face and caressed his cheek. She could feel the texture of his beard beneath her fingers and it reinforced how _real_ this moment actually was.

It was at that moment, just past one in the morning, that Jaz realized just how close to falling she actually was. Damn, she was in big trouble. If she was this close now, where would she be at the end of 67, now 66, days?


	15. things you said too quietly

**_A/N: *spoilers for 1x12*_**

* * *

 _things you said too quietly_

* * *

Patricia had rushed them out of the room not long after she arrived for a moment alone with their prisoner. Dalton hadn't approved. Jaz watched him as he paced. She sat down on a shipping container across from the path Dalton was walking. She'd never seen him this wound up. He was practically vibrating with anger. She turned to give Preach a questioning look and Preach shook his head at her and shrugged as if he didn't know how to address Adam's current state either.

Jaz leaned back on her hands and continued to watch Dalton pace. "You okay, Top?"

"Am I okay?" He asked her with a furrowed brow. "Are _you_ okay?"

Her eyes widened and her brows lifted. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Just, you know, _mind games_ ," Dalton seethed.

Jaz chuckled as she slowly realized what he was talking about and then shrugged. " _Oh, that_. He was talking out of his ass, Top. He was trying to press my buttons. It's not exactly the first time I've heard something like that, though, so that button no longer gets a reaction from me." She looked up at him and found him searching her face for something. She wasn't sure what.

"It didn't bother you?" He asked.

Jaz shook her head. "Did it bother you?"

She thought she'd heard him whisper. Something like 'hell yes' but she couldn't be sure. It was too soft for even her well trained ears.

When he spoke up in his normal volume, he said, "Just didn't want him messing with anyone else, that's all."

Despite the current tension in the group, with a girl missing and a not-dead operative in their home, Jaz saw Preach grin slowly. Dalton spotted his grin and gave Preach a tired look.

"Not now," he told Preach as he pointed at him with an accusing finger.

Preach held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say a thing."

"The grin said enough," Dalton said with a roll of his eyes.

Jaz wanted to ask what they were talking about but Patricia came out at just that moment. She was ready to move forward with a new plan to save the girl. The moment was gone and they were back on the job. She'd have to remember to ask them both about it later.


	16. things you said when i was crying

_things you said when i was crying_

* * *

Wrong door. _Wrong door!_ Jaz thought as bullets whizzed by her. Elijah hit the ground in front of her and her heart lurched. She fired rounds through the door and then rushed forward to kick it shut. They'd been ready for them to breach that side. Their intel had been bad. _Shit_. They didn't have much time to waste. She needed to see how badly Elijah was hurt and move. They needed cover.

She grabbed him from behind, around the chest, and dragged him behind the nearest car. There was no blood on his chest that she could feel. No sticky warmth on her hands. She laid him down behind the car and stepped around quickly only to freeze form her position above him. Her blood ran cold and a whimper she couldn't control escaped her lips.

He'd taken a clean shot to the head. He'd had no chance of survival.

She couldn't look away from his unseeing eyes. They were open and pointed straight at her but there was nothing reflected in them. Her shaking hand reached forward and closed them slowly. She hadn't even had a moment to say anything to him and now she never would again. Her cheeks felt wet and she realized she was crying. She felt the tears dripping down her chin. She could hear commotion over her coms. Scuffling, bullets, grunts. But none of it really registered.

The world had gone hazy and all she could do was remember Elijah. Every moment she'd had with him hit her at once.

" _Jaz! Vallins! We're heading to you. What happened?"_

She heard the question but she couldn't bring herself to answer it. She didn't want to answer it. She didn't know how long she sat there listening to silence, it must have been several minutes.

" _Jaz! We need your location. God damn it, somebody answer me!"_

Top. That was Top. The fog of grief and devastation faded and suddenly she remembered where she was. She needed to get out and she needed to get Elijah back to his family. He deserved that. They couldn't stay here.

"Took cover across from our access point," she finally replied. Her voice caught as she continued, "Vallins is down and he's not getting back up." She could hear her own tears in her voice. She knew Top could too. There was a long moment of solemn silence before he replied.

" _Shit, Jaz, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Stay right where you are. We're coming to get you._ _Both of you."_ He'd stressed 'both of you' and Jaz found herself crying again.

Dalton knew. He knew where her thoughts would go. _Get Elijah home_. It helped keep her in the moment. She'd process her grief later. Elijah still needed her. One last time. Her tears dried for the time being. They'd be back later but now was not the time.

Later, when they'd taken care of Elijah and notifying their superiors and they were back at the airbase Jaz finally let the tears return. She'd hidden behind their home, leaned against the wall, and sobbed. As hard as she tried, the image of Elijah's blank dead eyes would not leave her alone. She shut her eyes as tightly as she could and pressed the heels of her hands into them. Hoping to drive the images away with physical force.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and tensed. How long had someone been watching her?

"Don't stop," she heard Dalton say as he sat down next to her. "Jaz, don't. You lost your best friend today, you have nothing to be ashamed of. No one will think less of you for it. We're all feeling it."

Her red swollen eyes met his and she found they were red rimmed and weary too. "It shouldn't have happened this way, Jaz. I'm sorry."

His arm went around her shoulders and he pulled her to him. Between his sorrowful gaze and the gentle but firm grip he had on her shoulder, she realized she wanted to turn to him. She wanted to mourn Elijah with him. He'd understood that she'd needed to get Vallins home earlier and she couldn't thank him enough for that. If he could understand that then he could understand her tears.

Before she'd even thought it through, she'd wrapped her arms around his neck and curled into him. Normally, she didn't want anyone to touch her or be near her when she cried but this pain was too great for her to handle alone. She had to trust someone with it and if she was going to trust anyone with her tears it _had to be_ Dalton. There was no one else.


	17. things you said over the phone

**A/N:** The next 6 chapters will wrap up the 67 days plot that's been sprinkled throughout this story :) After that I will have 2 prompts not related to that storyline. You ready? Cause there's some fun stuff on the way (and some not so fun stuff). Happy reading!

* * *

 _Things you said over the phone_

* * *

"Tequila, really?" Dalton asked into his phone as he browsed the pasta aisle at the grocery store. "You realize that requires a trip to a totally different store, right?"

"Oh come on, it's not like we have anywhere to be tomorrow and I still need to find how many shots it takes to get you to loosen up," Jaz said on the other end of the call.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I told you. You're not gonna make it to the number of shots required. Might as well give up now."

"Never. Not in my nature."

He laughed lightly and then stopped at the pasta selection. "Did you want whole wheat pasta? Linguine or spaghetti?"

"Whole wheat linguine," she answered. "Are the sauces on that aisle too?"

He craned his neck to glance down the aisle. "No, not on this aisle. Isn't better to have wine with pasta?" he asked as he got the back to their earlier topic.

"Wine doesn't work as fast as tequila."

"Oh I see, you _want_ to get drunk," Dalton said with a grin. "Of course you do."

"I'm on leave, dude," Jaz said with a laugh. "I can be drunk all I want."

"And here I was hoping we could actually remember tonight," Dalton told her as he picked a pasta box from the shelf and threw it into his basket.

"Oh really? Was there something specific you were wanting me to remember about tonight?" Jaz asked. He could practically hear her smirk and raised eyebrow.

"Hoping there might be," he said in a low quiet voice. He had no doubt she'd hear the implications in his tone. "Eventually."

There was a pause and then a deep breath before she replied. "Get the wine," she said in a soft sultry tone.

"Yeah?" He asked as he headed to the end of the aisle. He reached the end and glanced down a few aisles, searching for someone familiar.

He grinned wickedly when he found her. Jaz peeked out from her aisle with her phone to her ear and gave him a slow sultry smile.

"You pick the wine. I'll get the bread and the sauce. We'll skip the tequila for tonight," she said with a nod.

He could read her lips and hear her voice in the phone. But the best part was the look in her eyes, dark and hazy. She definitely understood what he'd been implying.

"Meet you at the register?" He asked as he met her gaze.

She nodded again with her eyes still trained on his. "Don't keep me waiting, Adam."

Would there ever come a day where his first name on her lips didn't deeply affect him? God, he hoped not. She hung up and his eyes stayed glued to her as she sauntered away from him, toward the bread aisle. He used to hate going to the grocery store, he thought as he quickly made his way to the wine section, but now? Now, not so much.


	18. things you didn't say at all

_Things you didn't say at all_

* * *

Their empty plates were still sitting on the table, sauce congeling and pasta getting dry. Their wine glasses were there too with the wine staining the very bottom of the glass a faint shade of purple. The pot the pasta was boiled in was still on the stove along with the pot they'd heated the sauce in. The stove had long been turned off but the dishes on it were forgotten. Last but not least, dessert sat on the counter untouched. The freshly whipped heavy whipping cream was decomposing the closer it got to room temperature and the strawberries were wilting in their plastic container.

Neither Jaz nor Dalton seemed too concerned with their mess.

Of course, it was easy to be distracted from dinner when their mouths were busy doing other things besides eating.

They couldn't really recall who started it or how, but it didn't much matter. Regardless, it resulted in Jaz straddling Dalton's lap as he sat in a chair at her kitchen table, the two of them kissing slowly and deliberately. Dalton had one hand under the back of her tank top, his hand running up and down the skin on her back. His other hand had settled on the back of Jaz's head with his fingers buried in her hair. She had one hand spread across his neck and his jaw, her fingers softly tracing over the line of his jaw. Her other arm had gone around his neck, with her hand dipped under the collar of his shirt resting on his back.

Two sets of eyes closed as they explored this new layer to their relationship. They'd pull back briefly every once in while to smile against each other's lips before returning to open mouthed heated kisses. When it became clear they were going to need to catch their breath, Jaz pulled away and lifted her arms up over her head. She threw Dalton a challenging smirk. Silently asking if he was going to help rid her of her tank top. He chuckled low and let his gaze wander from the bottom hem of the tank top to the straps on her shoulders, and the bra strap just barely hidden underneath. Finally, he reached forward and lifted the hem, pulling the shirt slowly and carefully over her head. He dropped it onto the floor next to the table and then eagerly covered her lips with his again.

But she gently pushed back, grinning at him and glancing purposefully at his white t-shirt and then bringing her eyes back to his face with her lips pursed expectantly. His turn, the message was clear. He smiled slow and sinful and before echoing her gesture earlier and holding his arms over his head too.

She laughed lightly and nodded as she reached for the bottom of his shirt and tugged it upward. As soon as it joined her tank top on the floor, her lips were on his again. With more skin to touch they were temporarily satisfied with their positions.

But they both knew it wouldn't be long before more of their clothes would join the small pile on the floor and they left the kitchen behind. For now, though, there was no rush. They could take all the time they wanted.


	19. when we were the happiest we ever were

_Things you said when we were the happiest we ever were_

* * *

Jaz was woken up the next morning by the feeling of kisses being trailed over the back of her shoulder and the curve of her neck. The smile spread across her face before she'd even opened her eyes.

"Morning," a sleepy voice said from behind her as arms tightened around her briefly.

His voice was low and gravelly, full of sleep, but still beautiful. At least to her. She turned in his arms and was finally greeted with the sight of Adam Dalton. He looked a bit groggy but the smile on his face matched her own and she felt a small thrill at finding them laying bare chest to bare chest.

"Morning," she replied. "I could get used to this."

He chuckled and placed another few kisses to her neck. "Me too," he agreed. Though it was said against her neck and came out a bit muffled. He brought his face level with hers again and smiled.

This whole situation caused warm fluttering in her stomach. She hadn't felt that in a long time.

"You glad I talked you out of the tequila yesterday?" He asked with a teasing grin.

She laughed and nodded. "Fine, yes, I'll admit it. Last night was much more preferable to tequila shots. Waking up like this is much better than waking up with a hangover."

He laughed too and then shook his head at her. "Good to know you like me more than you like a hangover."

"I like you better than I like _a lot_ of things," Jaz admitted with a chuckle. "You're in my top ten of all time favorites."

He quirked a brow and smirked. "Only top ten? Guess I have some work to do then."

"I'm up for it if you are," Jaz said with wicked grin.

"Like you even have to ask," he said before he pulled her to him for an intrusive kiss.

At this rate, it wouldn't take him long to break into the top five at the very least, Jaz thought as that first kiss turned into several. They really needed to start every morning this way.

Later, when they finally made it out of bed and were cleaning up their leftover mess from dinner Dalton suddenly paused as he was loading the dishwasher and pulled her into his arms. He'd been gazing at her pretty intently just a few moments before while she scraped and rinsed their dishes. She didn't know what he'd been thinking or where the gesture came from but she wasn't about to fight it. He pressed his forehead to hers and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Jaz asked as she took in his closed eyes and soft expression.

"Yeah," he said. His eyes stayed closed but his lips formed a smile. "Just breathing it in."

She felt tears in her eyes and she wasn't at all sure where they came from. They surprised her. Something about his face and his words and the way he was holding her just hit her all at once. It hit her so fast that the tears formed before she realized what she'd been feeling or thinking. She was _happy_. Truly, unbelievably happy.

It was such a simple word but it was a very complicated emotion. It had layers and levels and sometimes felt unattainable. But standing in her kitchen with Dalton's arms wrapped around her she experienced tears of joy for the first time in her life. She blinked them back. She didn't want Dalton to open his eyes and think she was upset.

For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what she had done to deserve this. To deserve being here in this moment with him. She found herself wanting to know if he was feeling this too. She bit her bottom lip and cradled his face in her hands. Her thumbs brushed over his cheeks as she worked up the nerve to ask him.

She kept her eyes on his face as spoke. "Are you happy, Adam?"

His arms tightened around her when she said his first name and his eyes slowly opened. She had to hold back a gasp at how light and clear they looked. Usually, there was always something haunting in those eyes. The weight of responsibility, ghosts of things he'd had to do to keep his country safe, hints of the losses he'd suffered over the course of his life...any number of painful things. But she found none of that in his eyes this time.

"Happier than I thought I ever could be," he answered honestly as his eyes kept their hold on hers. "You?"

The joyful tears were back. She managed to keep them from falling but, given how close he was, she knew Dalton could see them in her eyes. She found it hard to believe she was feeling this, let alone that he was feeling it too. She couldn't seem to make her voice work so she swallowed thickly and nodded at him with a wide smile.

If this was truly happiness the she never wanted to be without it ever again.


	20. that made me feel like shit

**A/N:** Remember that bad stuff I mentioned? Yeah, this is it.

* * *

 _Things you said that made me feel like shit_

* * *

It was the night before her trip and she wasn't sure what was wrong with Adam but he was being very distant. Her friends had been begging to meet him, which Jaz thought was only fair because she'd cancelled on them a lot recently to be with him. But he was fighting her on it. He stood on the other end of her living room, leaning against the back of her couch.

"I don't think so, Jaz," he said with a furrowed brow and a shake of his head. "We still don't know if this is going to work and meeting them feels like-I don't know-a jinx or something."

She quirked a brow at him. "A jinx? You and I both know you're not superstitious."

"It's too real," he said with a sigh. "It's too much."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking you to meet my family, Dalton. I'm asking you to meet my friends."

"Yeah? And do they do this _a lot_? Meet your _boyfriends_? Is that why it's not a big deal?" He snapped at her.

He seemed to regret it as soon as he'd said it but that didn't stop her eyebrows from lifting and her mouth dropping open. She chuckled dryly. "Wow. Okay."

"Jaz-"

"No, you know, I get it. They're a part of my life away from you," she said as she shook her head at him and held a hand up to stop him from speaking. "Bringing you into that world, implies that this _might_ be working out. Which reminds you that in 46 days we have a decision to make. I get it, but Dalton," she said with a shake of her head and a sigh. "So far, _it is_ working out and we _are_ going to have to make that decision. If you can't face that then _what_ are we doing exactly?"

"I don't know," he answered with a sigh.

The way he'd snapped at her earlier had hurt but somehow that hurt worse. Had she misjudged this situation? She thought they were on the same page and had been the entire time. Was she wrong? Was she more invested than he was? Was he regretting the last 3 weeks?

Was he regretting _her_?

"You...you don't know?" Jaz asked as she gulped down her hurt. "We're three weeks into this and now you tell me that you don't know what we're doing?"

As if he just heard his own words, he came around the couch and reached for her. She shook her head at him and backed away.

"No, no," she told him. "Don't. You know what maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe we need to rethink this whole thing."

"What? Jaz, no, I didn't mean-I'm sorry," Dalton told her.

"You're sorry that you don't know what we're doing or sorry that you said how you really feel?" Jaz asked. "Because you had to mean that 'I don't know' on some level. Right?"

His eyes met hers and all she could see was uncertainty. He didn't even know why he was apologizing to her. He looked like he wanted to speak but he didn't know what to say.

She scoffed and then nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Look, you clearly need some time to think and, you know, honestly the timing couldn't be better. I'm going out of town. So, take the time you need, Dalton," she said with a sad sigh. "We'll talk when I get back."

"You don't leave until tomorrow," he said with a furrowed brow.

She shrugged. "I'll stay with one of my friends tonight. It'll make it easier when we leave in the morning."

"I was supposed to take you to the airport."

What was he trying to do? Talk her into staying? Find a weak reason to keep her from leaving?

"Well, then this works out better, doesn't it? I can ride to the airport with Hilda," Jaz told him as she walked toward the door and grabbed her duffle bag. "She's already driving herself."

"Jaz, I don't want this," Dalton said as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. He kept his distance. He didn't want to watch her back away from him again.

"I don't think you know what you want," Jaz said as she opened her the door and stood in front of it. "When you figure it out, let me know."

He had no idea how to respond to that, but he felt empty as he watched the door close behind her. What just happened? And why had he suddenly been unable to think or speak? He could face down threats to global safety every day and not barely even blink, but facing Jasmine Khan and all of his emotions left him frozen in fear.

He was an idiot. A complete and total idiot.


	21. with too many miles between us

_Things you said with too many miles between us_

* * *

Damn Adam Dalton. Damn him. She was in the middle of a club in Savannah, Georgia where she should be blowing off steam with her friends but instead she was sulking in a corner thinking about the idiot she'd left behind in her apartment in San Francisco. Her friends had noticed too. That was probably the worst part. Jaz had never been one to mope over men. She'd never met one worth it before.

Until Dalton. Until stupid Adam Dalton.

"Oh my god, you have got to start drinking," Hilda said as she sat down next to her and pushed a tequila shot toward her. "I cannot take watching you sit in this corner and pout. I mean normally after you fight with whatever guy you claim to be dating _that's_ when the party really starts."

She sighed and shook her head. "Problem is, I'm not really dating this one. I mean I am, but...I'm not. It's-"

"Complicated?" Hilda asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah," she said with a weak smile.

"There's a reason facebook officially made that a choice for relationship status, chica," Hilda said as she reached over and patted Jaz's arm. "When was the last time you talked to him?"

"The night before we left."

"Damn, you've been freezing him out for three days?" Hilda asked. "How's that going?"

"Awful," She answered as she took the shot of the table and downed it. It burned all the way down. It helped. "We had a fight before I left and even though I'm still pissed at him-God, I miss him. I miss him so much."

Hilda's eyebrows rose. "Oh god, Jaz," her friend said with a surprised look and a soft smile. "I can't believe I'm saying this but...you sound like you're in lo-"

"Don't. Don't say it," Jaz told her as she pointed an accusing finger at her.

"You've avoided it for so long," Hilda said with a teasing grin. "How did this even happen?"

Jaz groaned and held up her empty shot glass. "I need another one of these if we're going to talk about this."

Hilda chuckled at her and took the glass from her hand. "Fine. I'll go get us another round. I have to hear every detail of this. I cannot believe Jaz Khan has finally fallen in lo-"

"Tequila, Hil. I need tequila," Jaz said as she frantically interrupted her.

"One of these times I will finish that word," Hilda threatened with a smile as she walked off toward the bar.

God, she hoped not. She was having a hard enough time even thinking it. Let alone hearing it outloud. Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket and she pulled it out to see who was calling her. She gasped at Dalton's name on her screen. He hadn't tried to call her since she left. She bit her bottom lip and glanced at the door to the club. Should she? Was it a good idea to talk to him right now?

Oh, who was she kidding. She missed him so much she didn't even car. She took off for the door and answered the phone as soon as she'd left the music and noise behind her.

"Hello?" She asked. She could still hear a dull thumping in her ear.

"Jaz?"

God his voice sounded so good.

She was pathetic.

"That music sounds horrible," Dalton said with a forced laugh.

"Dalton," she said with a deep breath. It felt so good to say his name again too. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, actually I did," he said. She could hear nerves in his voice and disappointment.

Why was he disappointed? Did he expect her to gush about how much she missed him? If she couldn't gush to Hilda right now then she certainly wasn't going to gush to him.

"And what is that, exactly?" She asked with a forced huff. She was trying to sound impatient. She was actually ashamed of how badly she wanted to keep him on the phone.

"I wanted to tell you that I don't need any more time. I know exactly what's happened here," Dalton said with confidence.

Her brow furrowed at his use of past tense. Was he ending it?

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" She asked with a sigh.

"I fell in love with you."

She gasped and then shut her eyes tightly. He did not just say…

He said it so simply. Like it was so obvious and easy. Like he hadn't been unsure of them just a few days ago.

"What?" She asked as she swallowed thickly. She had to have heard him wrong.

"I love you," he repeated. This time she definitely heard a small crack in his voice.

She was keenly aware of the joyful tears in her eyes and of the way her heart was hammering in her chest. "You love me?" She asked in disbelief.

He chuckled lightly and she could see him in her mind. Grinning in amusement and shaking his head. "Yes, I do."

She let out a long breath. Suddenly she felt like she'd been holding her breath for days. Like she hadn't taken a single breath since she left him in her apartment. "I love you too."

The word's left her mouth without her having to even think about it. She didn't even know she'd been speaking until she was halfway through. They'd never before been that easy for her to say.

"And of course you're on the _opposite_ coast when we say this," Dalton said dryly. "Why wouldn't you be?"

She laughed softly and let the happy tears in her eyes fall down her cheeks. "How did you-I mean what happened? Just three days ago you seemed so confused."

"You left," Dalton admitted. "That's what happened. The minute you walked out that door everything sucked. It only got slightly better when I realized what that meant and let myself admit it to someone."

She quirked a brow at those words. "You mean besides me?"

"I, um, called Preach."

She laughed loudly. "Of course. It's always Preach."

"We need to send him a fruit basket or something. Isn't that what people do for thank you gifts?"

She smiled brightly and chuckled. "I don't know that Preach would want a fruit basket."

"A fruit basket is more useful than flowers, at least."

"Are those our only two choices?" She asked.

She spent the rest of the night outside the club talking and laughing over the phone with Dalton. Hilda probably had no idea where she was but she didn't care. Not only that, but tomorrow she was going home. She wasn't wasting another day in Georgia. Not after hearing him say those three little words.

He'd surprised her again. He was always surprising her.


	22. things you said after it was over

**A/N:** Last chapter for the 67 days plot. Enjoy!

* * *

 _T_ _hings you said after it was over_

* * *

Day 67 had finally arrived and they had not ended up deciding they were better off as friends. In fact, they were both convinced of the complete opposite. They were stronger together. Both in the field and off. Publicly disclosing their relationship would mean one of them leaving the unit. That was not now and would not ever be good for the unit but those were the rules. Keeping it a secret meant risking being found out and both losing the respect they'd worked hard to earn.

There was no way to make the brass understand that what most viewed as a weakness was actually their strength. So, on Day 67…

They told the unit.

They had a say in this too. It affected them either way.

Preach had told them to screw the brass. They'd have to fight him if they wanted to break up his unit. He'd help them keep it discrete. They'd figured as much from him. McG had called them both soft but agreed it was a secret he was willing to keep. He trusted them both implicitly and no romantic entanglement would change that. Amir had told them they couldn't have been any more obvious if they tried. If they were going to make people believe they weren't a couple, he said, he would need to teach them how to be better at deception.

After the phone calls were done and the vote had come back unanimous, Jaz pulled out the bottle of Crown she kept stashed in her cabinet along with her two shot glasses.

"We finish this like we started," Jaz said with a laugh. "Drunk."

He laughed with her and shook his head. "If this is about the magic number of shots you keep going on about-"

"Please, I don't need alcohol to get you to loosen up anymore," she said with a wink. "I know your weakness."

"Oh yeah?" he asked as he lifted a brow at her. "What's that?"

She poured two shots and handed him one of them as she straddled his lap. He took his shot from her and watched as she downed hers quickly and put the glass on the kitchen table behind her. She waited for him to drink his before answering him. He scoffed and tilted the glass up. He put the glass next to hers on the table.

"Well?" He asked with a grin. "I'm waiting."

She smirked at him and then leaned toward his ear. She kissed the hinge of his jaw just below his ear before whispering his first name. He sucked in a breath as he always did and she chuckled at him. "That is your weakness," she said as she pulled away gave him a gloating smile. "You love it when I say your first name. Every time I say it you do something just a little bit reckless." She leaned closer to his face and whispered again, "I don't need to find your magic number. I just need to say your name, _Adam._ "

She heard a soft growl from the back of his throat and then suddenly his lips were on hers. She knew it was coming. She was taunting him, after all. His hands rested on either side of her waist and held her tightly while he captured her lips in fierce kiss after fierce kiss. Her hands went to his hair and she kissed him back just as passionately.

Their 67 days may have been over but everything else was just beginning. She had no doubt they'd figure it out. _Together._


	23. things you said that i wish you hadn't

_things you said that I wish you hadn't_

* * *

"I love you."

Oh, hell no. Not now.

"Dalton," Jaz said with as she pressed her hands to the gushing wound on his stomach. "Shut up. Save it for later."

He coughed out a dry chuckle. "May not be a later, Jaz."

"You're not saying that to me here and now. We're not doing that god damn death bed confessions thing because you are not dying. You got that?" She ordered. She was not even considering any alternate outcomes.

"If you say so," he said weakly.

"I say so," she said through gritted teeth. "McG, where the hell are you, man?"

"Approaching the door. Give me another minute, Jaz." came McG's voice through the coms.

Dalton's head was drooping and his eyes were fluttering closed. No. No!

"Adam!" She yelled. His head snapped up and his eyes found hers. "Stay with me, okay?"

"Trying."

"Try harder," she told him desperately.

"Why don't you want me to say it?" He asked. "The words."

"Because if you're saying it then you've given up. We both know you'd never say them otherwise," she told him with a shake of her head.

"You don't know that for sure," he said weakly.

She scoffed and smirked at him. "Are you still my CO?"

"Yeah," he said with a weak grin.

"Then there's our answer," Jaz told him with a soft smile. "As long as you're my CO and my team mate you're not going to say it. Not out loud. I'm okay with that. Especially right fucking now. Because you not saying it at this moment means you plan to keep breathing and keep on being my CO. So, don't say it. Save it for later. Whenever that might be. Okay?"

He tipped his chin in a barely noticeable nod. "Okay."

The door burst open and McG was at Dalton's side in a flash. Jaz breathed a sigh of relief as McG replaced her hands with his.

"Shit, top," McG said with a grin that was both teasing and terrified. "What did you get yourself into this time?"

He snorted and smirked. "You should see the other guy."

"Good news is," McG said as he got a look at the wound. "The bullet didn't hit anything vital. Bad news is, I'm gonna have to cauterize the wound. You'll live but it's gonna hurt like hell."

Jaz smirked at gave Dalton a boastful glance. "Told you you'd have a later."

He rolled his eyes and grimaced before giving McG a nod. "Do it."


	24. when we were on top of the world

_things you said when we were on top of the world_

* * *

They pulled a big win out of a mission that nearly went sideways and escaped with everyone in one piece. They had fresh intel, a solid victory, and the whole team back together. After being sent out on early leave and facing months of uncertainty their first mission back left them all feeling a bit invincible.

For the moment anyway.

Preach had taken Amir and McG to play pool to show them his extended recovery hadn't caused a weakness in his game, which left Dalton and Jaz by the fire alone. In a group they kept their distance, but the minute the other three were out of earshot they met at the bench in the middle.

"I think we're getting better at this," Jaz said with a smirk. "No one wounded or maimed this time."

Dalton chuckled. "That's a definite improvement." His eyes fell to her hand that rested on the bench in between them.

She would never know why he did it or what he was thinking but a moment later his hand was holding hers with their fingers interlocked. He tugged her closer with the hand that he held in his and she obliged. She stopped when her left side was tucked against his right and pulled her feet up to the bench. She curled them under her and let herself lean against him.

"You know," he said as he met her eyes. "We're part of a good unit."

Jaz nodded her agreement. "The best."

Why did she feel like she some love struck high schooler? She was sitting on a bench, holing hands with a boy. It felt silly but somehow right.

"But I also think," Dalton said before he glanced back down at their joined hands. "You and I make a pretty damn good team all our own."

Jaz smiled at him before she repeated her earlier words. "The best."

"There's a line here that we've never let ourselves cross," he said thoughtfully before he reached up and scratched his beard with his free hand.

She nodded. "It's probably one we shouldn't cross."

"If we're as smart as we think we are, yes," he said with a chuckle. "But we had a lot of close calls last rotation." He was right. Between her capture and Preach, not to mention Elijah not long before that, they'd almost lost a lot. "We'll probably have even more of them this time. We're good. They'll keep throwing us into missions with higher and higher stakes."

That was right too. They'd proven themselves to the DIA unlike any other team the agency had. They were at the top of the list and were bound to be thrown into any number of escalated situations.

"We had a win today," he told her. "Next time we might not. It would be a shame to lose with that line we never cross still firmly in place."

So, the success of today was making Dalton a bit brave. Jaz couldn't say she minded. But the adrenaline of a job well done and the thrill of making it out alive was temporary. If they crossed the line while on a victorious high then that was it. There was no going back. They couldn't trust themselves to make this decision tonight. She didn't untangle herself from him, didn't move away, or shake her head.

She simply said, "We'll sleep on it."

He quirked a brow at her and she grinned at him.

"You know as well as I do that you can't trust yourself to decide this now," Jaz told him as she bumped his shoulder with hers teasingly. "You have a valid point, Dalton, and I don't want us to _over_ think it, but we do need to _think_ about it. I'm all for letting the line blur a little if you are, but that's not a decision we make on a mission high, _Captain_."

He chuckled at her and sighed. "Fine, one sleep. No more, no less. Deal?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Deal."

For tonight, though, they could sit side by side and hold hands like a couple of teenagers. Tomorrow, they'd see about being something more.


End file.
